Dec. 27, 2014 Final Stats | Quotes
RUTGERS (8-5) 40, NORTH CAROLINA (6-7) 21
QUICK LANE BOWL • FORD FIELD • DETROIT, MICHIGAN
DECEMBER 26, 2014 • ATTENDANCE: 23,876
NOTES
Rutgers competed in a bowl game for the ninth time in the last 10 years and for the 10th time overall. The Scarlet Knights are now 6-4 in bowls and have won six of the last eight.
Rutgers improved to 4-3 all-time versus North Carolina and 2-1 against ACC teams in bowl games.
RU reached at least eight wins for the third time in the last four seasons.
Head coach Kyle Flood won his first bowl game in three attempts. He is the first coach in school history to lead the program to a bowl in each of his first three seasons at the helm.
Rutgers improved to 10-3 since 2006 in games played at an NFL venue and 2-0 in bowl games, having beaten Kansas State in 2006 at Reliant Stadium in Houston. The Scarlet Knights opened their 2014 season with a win over Washington State at CenturyLink Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks.
Rutgers is now 24-5 in the last four seasons when attempting at least 35 rushes in a game.
Rutgers improved to 12-6 under Flood when scoring first, 21-3 when scoring at least 20 points, 16-2 when outgaining an opponent and 4-0 when committing no turnovers. Flood now has 23 career wins - the most for a Rutgers coach in their first three seasons at the helm.
Rutgers rushed for a season-high 340 yards in the game. That was the most in a bowl in RU history and most in a game since totaling 404 at Army in 2007.
Both Josh Hicks (202) and Robert Martin (100) reached 100 yards rushing in the game. The last time Rutgers had two players reach that mark in a game was against Syracuse in 2006 with Ray Rice (107) and Brian Leonard (106).
Martin and Hicks are the first true freshmen to run for at least 100 yards in a bowl game since Ray Rice ran for 108 versus Arizona State in the 2005 Insight Bowl.
The Scarlet Knights finished with 2,114 yards rushing on the season, the most since accumulating 2,574 in 2007.
With 340 yards on the ground against the Tar Heels, Rutgers had four games with at least 200 yards rushing in 2014 (215 at Washington State; 284 at Navy; 212 vs. Indiana).
Rutgers started the same offensive line of LT Keith Lumpkin, LG Kaleb Johnson, C Betim Bujari, RG Chris Muller and RT Taj Alexander in all 13 games in 2014. The last time the Scarlet Knights had the same starting offensive line for the entire season was in 2006 with LT Pedro Sosa, LG Mike Fladell, C Darnell Stapleton, RG Cameron Stephenson and RT Jeremy Zuttah.
The offense allowed zero sacks in a game for the third time this season (Navy, Indiana). Only two sacks were allowed over the last four games.
Rutgers went 7-0 this season when accumulating at least 400 yards of offense. The only time RU had less than 400 yards in a game and won was versus Howard (397).
Rutgers improved to 4-0 this season when scoring at least 40 points this year. The 524 yards of total offense was the most this season for the Scarlet Knights. That was the most yardage since having 543 in the 2013 opener at Fresno State.
Rutgers never trailed in a win for the second time this season (Tulane).
Rutgers blocked a field goal in the second quarter (Lorenzo Waters). It was the 42nd block since 2009 to lead the nation. The Scarlet Knights finished with six rejections in 2014, with four of them being field goals.
The offense scored on all three of its trips to the red zone to bring the season percentage up to 90 (37-of-41).
Rutgers scored a touchdown on its opening drive of the game for the third time this season (Washington State, Tulane).
Rutgers shut out an opponent in the first half for the second time this season (Penn State). The lead of 23-0 was the largest in a bowl game for the Scarlet Knights in their history.
PLAYER NOTES
QB Gary Nova
Nova started his 41st career game and finishes with a 25-16 record as a starter at the collegiate level.
Nova threw for 184 yards to bring his career total to 9,258, second-most in school history.
Nova finishes his career with a school-record 73 passing touchdowns.
Nova rushed for a career-high 30 yards in the game.
Nova finishes his career second in program history with 689 completions.
Nova threw for 2,851 yards this season, ranked fourth-most in year in school history.
Nova threw 22 touchdown passes in 2014 to match his career best set in 2012. That mark ranks second in school history.
Rutgers is 23-7 in games where Nova throws less than two interceptions
RB Josh Hicks
Hicks was named MVP of the Quick Lane Bowl.
Hicks totaled a career-best 202 yards in the win. He is the sixth Scarlet Knight to reach 200 yards in a game. That last player to total 200 rushing yards was Jawan Jamison in 2011 versus Cincinnati.
Hicks' 202 yards in the game ranks second in a bowl game in RU history behind Ray Rice's 280 in the 2008 International Bowl.
Hicks had zero yards lost and averaged 10.6 yards per carry.
WR Leonte Carroo
Carroo was the only player to record a catch in all 13 games this season. He has had a reception in each of the last 20 games he has played.
Carroo finishes the season with 1,086 receiving yards, ranked sixth in school history.
OL Kaleb Johnson
Johnson ends his collegiate career starting the final 50 games on the offensive line, a program record. The last time Rutgers did not have Johnson in the lineup was at North Carolina in 2011. He started his streak the following week versus Ohio.
RB Robert Martin
Martin ran for 100 yards in a game to reach the century mark for the first time in his career. His previous high was 83 yards versus Indiana.
Martin had multiple touchdowns for the second time this year, as he had three versus Indiana.
FB Michael Burton
Burton had his first rush of the season to convert a fake punt.
Burton totaled at least one catch in 11 games this season.
WR Andrew Turzilli
Turzilli had a touchdown grab of 34 yards.
Turzilli finishes the season with 10 receptions for 347 yards. He averaged 34.7 yards per catch.
K Kyle Federico
Federico made two field goals to bring his career total up to 32, ranked sixth in school history.
Federico is 25-of-31 (81.6%) on field goal attempts of less than 40 yards in his career.
Federico made a field goal in 12 of 13 games this season.
Federico is now 5-for-5 on field goal attempts in his career in bowl games.
DB Lorenzo Waters
Waters had a game-high 14 tackles in the win. That set a season-best and was two shy of his career-high of 16 set versus Army in 2012.
Ten of Waters' 14 tackles were solo.
Waters' tackle number matches Khaseem Greene 14 recorded in the 2011 Pinstripe Bowl. That mark is the most by a Rutgers defender in a bowl game during the run of nine bowl games in 10 years.
Waters recovered two fumbles in the first half. The last Scarlet Knight to pick up two fumbles was LB Quentin Gause at Michigan State this year.
Waters had his second career blocked kick in the game. He previously deflected a kick versus Kent State in 2012.
DB Johnathan Aiken
Aiken had a career-high 11 tackles in the game, all solo, including one for a loss. His previous best was seven in wins over Washington State and Maryland.
DT Darius Hamilton
Hamilton recorded his sixth sack of the season in the game. He finishes the season with a team-high 11.5 tackles-for-loss. He had the same number last season.
LB Kevin Snyder
Snyder played in his 51st career game, missing just one over his four-year career.
Snyder had seven tackles to bring his career total to 229, most on the roster.
LB Steve Longa
Longa had nine tackles in the game, bringing his season total to 102.
Longa reached 100 tackles for the second time in as many seasons.
PARTICIPATION
Started all 13 games in 2014 (13): WR Leonte Carroo, LT Keith Lumpkin, LG Kaleb Johnson, C Betim Bujari, RG Chris Muller, RT Taj Alexander, QB Gary Nova, DE David Milewski, DT Darius Hamilton, DE Djwany Mera, LB Steve Longa, CB Gareef Glashen, DB Lorenzo Waters.
Started all 26 games since beginning of 2013 (5): LT Keith Lumpkin, LG Kaleb Johnson, RG Chris Muller, DE Djwany Mera, LB Steve Longa.
Career debut: FB Lloyd Terry
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